Unlimited barley rice with bossam and spicy octopus in Seocho: Daseon

Today I came to Daseon Kalguksu, a restaurant near Gyodae Station, to eat bossam (boiled pork wraps) that my dad loves~ It's a place centered on high-quality warm bossam and generous, hearty kalguksu (knife-cut noodle soup) dishes, with the perks of parking right in front and being able to make a reservation! Exactly the features I look for, so I visited~

And after visiting in person, I found not only the taste but also the generous portions and great value, so it's just as suited to be a lunch/dinner spot for nearby office workers as it is a place to enjoy a drink or two!

Location and hours of Daseon Kalguksu

• Address: 69 Banpo-daero 26-gil, Seocho-gu, Seoul (3-minute walk from exit 14 of Gyodae Station), 1st & 2nd floor
• Hours: Mon–Fri 11:00–23:00 / Sat–Sun 11:30–22:00, no break time
• Group-friendly, separate men's/women's restrooms, Wi-Fi, waiting area, takeout/delivery available
• Reservations available (via Naver Reservation)
• Corkage available (free)
• Parking available (free, first-come basis in front of the store)

Daseon Kalguksu is located near the subway station, so it's easy to reach, but free parking is also available~ There's space for about 4 cars right in front of the store, so I could come comfortably!

A standalone building with 1st and 2nd floors — good for group dinners?

The restaurant is a standalone building with 1st and 2nd floors! I liked how spacious and clean it felt, with a comfortable, warm atmosphere that's pleasant for eating or hosting a group dinner~ In particular, when I visited, there was a group reservation on the 2nd floor, and I liked the sense of separated space — it's a lunch/dinner spot as well as a drinking spot!

The menu and unlimited barley rice

The menu at Daseon Kalguksu! There's a wide variety of side dishes including the main boiled pork bossam, plus several hearty meal options, so there's a lot to choose from~ It works well whether you're picking it as a lunch/dinner restaurant or as a bar for a group gathering — a broad menu lineup!

Plus, since they offer unlimited barley rice as much as you want, it's a generous, wallet-friendly place too~ Personally I love barley rice bibimbap!

Even the color of the barley rice hints at a nutty, clean taste, and the radish salad and kimchi are also delicious and well-fermented~ Even the red seasoning sauce for mixing was spicy and slightly sweet, perfect for finishing a whole bowl! I did in fact scrape my bowl clean..!

Boiled pork bossam, large 380g for ₩38,000, served warm

The reason I came today, and the main dish — boiled pork bossam (large, 380g, ₩38,000). The visual alone was a pass, with a moist, tender texture plus a nicely browned surface that made it look even more appetizing! The ratio of lean meat to fat was just right~

It even kept coming out warm, so it stayed even more tender and moist~ And the portion was generous for the price, so the value was great too, and I got nice and full!

The bossam itself had great taste and quality, but the kimchi and radish served alongside were also a highlight! The savoriness was so good that I thought this place really knows how to make good seasonings — I finished it happily to the last bite without getting tired of it~ Wrapping it up to eat was great too!

Spicy octopus kalguksu for two, ₩30,000 — how much octopus and clam?

The other dish I ordered along with the bossam — spicy octopus kalguksu (for two, ₩30,000). From the first look, the amount of octopus and clams packed in was impressive enough to make my heart swell! The octopus was chewy but not tough, and the clams were well de-sanded — there was so much that it kept coming no matter how much I ate~

I wondered if this was really meant for two people or actually for three! The noodles were chewy too, and the broth had a nicely spicy kick, making it perfect as a lunch/dinner dish and also as a soup to pair with a drink~ The broth in particular had a deep fermented soybean paste flavor that put jang kalguksu places in Gangwon-do to shame, and it paired really well with the bossam!

To sum up

This was a place with hearty food and a comfortable atmosphere that works well both as a lunch/dinner spot and as a place to enjoy a drink~ The restaurant is spacious and clean, so it's great for group dinners too, and with reservations and free parking available, it makes for an even more comfortable visit!